University of NebraskaLincoln Extension, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources

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G2028

How to Create an Effective Brochure

Lisa A. Pennisi, Tourism Marketing Specialist; Yenti Gunawan, Student;
Annabel Lee Major, Extension Program Coordinator; and Alexis Winder, Student
This guide will help you create a professional,
eye-catching, and valuable brochure.
A brochure is an informational pamphlet or leaflet advertising an organization, business, event, product, or service.
Brochures are a great way to package information in a simple,
eye-catching design that attracts potential clients by offering
basic information. A well-made brochure will grab the attention
of the reader and provide needed information while inspiring
the reader to take action.
Do You Need a Brochure?
There are many different print and media products that
can be used successfully to promote an organization, business,
event, product, or service. Before spending time and money
on one or more, consider the characteristics of your audience
and decide which method(s) will be most appealing.
A brochure is a professional, effective, and inexpensive
way to provide information to your target audience. They are
designed for people to pick up. Brochures placed in a rack at
tourism information outlets, hotels, and motels can publicize
a tourism or retail business. Brochures also can describe a
program or class that is being offered. While brochures do
get the word out, they are not as pervasive as a print, radio,
or television advertisement.
Getting Started
Before you begin to write, plan your brochure. Consider
the following to help you gather the information needed.
Target your audience by answering the following
questions:
Is your audience specialized or familiar with your
subject, or are they a general audience, not in the field
or trade?
How will your audience use your brochure? For example, is it a how to that people will keep, or is it to
promote a one-time event?
How will the brochure be used with other marketing
tools?

Determine the purpose of your brochure. Are you persuading or informing? Having one primary purpose or approach
can be more effective than producing a generalized brochure
that tries to say everything and therefore says too much.
Stand out from your competition. Emphasize what
makes your business unique. What do you offer that other
companies, services, or experiences do not?
Determine the call to action. A call to action is wording
that tells the reader to do something. It could be to make reservations, sign up as a volunteer, visit a store, plant water-wise
landscaping plants, or fill out and mail in an order form. In
your call to action, provide the reader with specific examples
and/or detailed instructions to help them take the next step. If
you do not include action steps, the reader may lose the point
of the brochure or the motivation to take the next step.
Creating Your Brochure
A brochure should be clear, attractive, and brief. Before
starting the design process, consider:
Grab attention. If the brochure is in a rack among many, it
has to stand out. Make sure the front panel will attract attention
by using catchy phrases or images (more on this below).
The entire look. Attractiveness determines how likely
a potential customer is to pick up your brochure. The design,
including colors, fonts, graphics, and layout, all impact
attractiveness.
The 5 Ws and one H. The reader needs to understand the
information and not be left with any questions. To accomplish
this, provide answers to the 5 Ws who, what, when, where,
and why and the H how?
Who is the business or sponsor?
What is the service or event?
When is the event? Give the date, time of the event or
business operation hours.
Where is it located? Include a map that shows major
highways.
Why should anyone attend, use your service, shop at
your store, visit your website, or take action if this is
a public service?

 How can they take the action you want (for example,
make reservations)?
Be brief! Most people dont want to read lengthy text .
Wordiness can cause many to put a brochure down. To help
determine how much text to include:
Think of your brochure as an appetizer. It should offer
a small taste that makes the reader want more. Share
only important and interesting key points.
Include five or fewer key points. Only use the most
necessary information.
Use pictures, charts, and drawings rather than words
when possible.
Use bullets to break copy into small, easy-to-scan
chunks.
Create interest. While getting a readers attention may be
most important, keeping their interest is hardest. This is where
most brochures fail, thus losing a prospective customer. Create
interest by appealing to potential clients emotions and needs.
Long-term effectiveness. Make your brochure worth keeping. Give your audience a reason to hang on to it, even if they
decide not to call or buy right now. Informational brochures
containing brief, useful instructions will be kept longer than
brochures that do not contain any how to details. For example,
a brochure that provides people with instructions on how to
xeriscape their yard is more likely to be kept than one that that
tells them to xeriscape without explaining how. A brochure that
describes your business, showcases what you offer, and includes
contact information and directions also will be kept longer than
one that doesnt include this vital information.
Organize information. Use subheadings, text boxes, and
bullets to break up text and organize information. Readers like
brochures that are easy to scan and read in sections.
Avoid copyright infringement. With information readily
available on the Internet, its easy to break copyright laws, often
without realizing it. To avoid violating copyright, seek photos
from digital commons areas, obtain permission to use images,
and be sure the copyright holder is appropriately cited. Obeying
copyright laws and intellectual property rights is a must.
Check the facts. The information you put into your brochure will be in the public eye. Before you hit print, be sure
to have others review the facts. If you are uncertain about the
information, use your resources, including local libraries and
professionals, to review your brochure before you distribute
it to the public.
Layout

Size and Format

The size of a brochure is usually determined by the amount
and type of information you need to include, and your budget.
You might select:
a simple rack card that is printed front and back but
has no folds,
a brochure with four panels or six panels, or
a very detailed brochure with eight panels or more.
Remember, making your brochure longer is not always
a good idea. People often prefer brief information and may
not be motivated to read something lengthy. Also, be aware
that increasing the number of panels increases the paper size,
thereby increasing cost. The number of folds (or staples) also
may increase costs for machine or hand folding. Generally
speaking, 8 x 11 paper works well with a two-fold, fourpanel design or with the typical three-fold, six-panel design
(Figure 1).

Single-Fold, Four-Panel Brochure

Flat Folded

Three-Fold, Six-Panel Brochure

Double Parallel, Eight-Panel Brochure

Gate-Fold, Eight-Panel Brochure

Accordion-Fold, Six-Panel Brochure

At this point you have:

selected a business, service, or event to publicize with
a brochure, and
decided upon the information to include in the brochure.
Next, determine the layout. The way the information is
presented helps determine how useful the brochure will be to
a reader. Good brochures present a logical pathway through
the panels.

French-Fold, Eight Panel Brochure

Figure 1. Common folding options from which you can choose.

The theme is well developed and used throughout the brochure.

The design is eye-catching.
It passes the brochure rack test by presenting important information in the top one-third of the front panel
Good design techniques are used, including balance, proximity, and color throughout.
Brief blocks of text helps readers focus on information important to them.
Information covers the 5 Ws and H.
The choice of font helps create interest.
A good deal of useful information is included, along with attractive images and graphics.
The map is easy to read and will help potential visitors understand how to get there.
Website information is displayed prominently, which helps visitors meet the action goal of visiting the website.

Figure 2. An example of a well-made brochure. (Photos by Don Brockmeier, www.chickendancetrail.com)

Back Panel

Dont Forget the Final Check

The back panels are an easy-to-find place for contact

information. Adding a map next to contact information is
very helpful for potential visitors. Make sure the map shows
major highways or cities so it is easy for out-of-area visitors
and new residents to get their bearings.
Mailing information also can be placed on the back panel,
allowing the brochure to be mailed without an envelope,
which saves money and trees. The post office has regulations
for mailing items without an envelope; be sure your brochure
meets all postal regulations.
To print the back panel like an envelope, place your
returnaddress at the top left and leave space for a forwarding
address and postage. The fold must be at the bottom, and the
opening at the top must be taped closed. Always use tape,
never staples.

Effective graphic design helps grab attention. Consider

these design elements when creating your brochure:
Emphasis
Repetition
Alignment
Proximity

Graphic Design

Levels of information
Typography (font)
White space
Balance

To learn more about these graphic design elements, see

NebGuide G2031, Effective Graphic Design.
Brochure Rack Test
In a crowded rack, will your brochure stand out visually
and create enough interest for someone to pick it up? To help
ensure it attracts attention, make the front panel eye-catching by
using appealing photos, typography or graphics. One popular
technique is to use a cut-out image where the background
has been eliminated. Keep in mind, though, that glossy color
images and cut-outs increase production costs. Check your
costs and balance those with your needs. You may be able
to budget for a rack card with a full-color cut-out instead of
a folded brochure. Whatever design you choose, be sure to
place the name of your business or event prominently on the
top third of the panel.

Check spelling and grammar. Dont rely solely on spellcheck because it wont identify words used incorrectly
but spelled correctly, such as its and its or where and
were.
Watch for widows and orphans. A widow is the last line
of a paragraph that appears as the first line of a new page.
An orphan is a paragraph that starts at the end of the page
and contains just one line. Use spacing or delete items to
prevent these.
Include costs, such as admission price, when possible.
The lack of this information could prevent potential
customers from visiting or using your services. Including this information can prevent customer dissatisfaction
should someone arrive expecting something for free only
to discover there is a cost.
Double check that the five Ws and one H who, what,
when, where, why and how are prominent.
Check for
your company name and logo, and
contact information, including address, phone number,
email, and website address;
Explain how to use your services or take action.
Summary

Brochures are a simple and affordable way to communicate with a selected audience. Now that you have the tools
to produce an effective brochure, dont be afraid to use this
marketing tool to your advantage. Brochures can be used to
provide information explaining what you do and/or why you
do it. Or, a brochure can be the foundation of a more extensive
marketing campaign. Either way, by producing an effective
brochure, you are providing your audience with a tangible
document that communicates the most important information
in a colorful, well-designed, and informative package.
This publication has been peer reviewed.
UNL Extension publications are available online
at http://extension.unl.edu/publications.

Index: Communities & Leadership

Small Businses/Entrepreneurship

Issued January 2011

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